Sausage-linking machine.



J. SHIER. SAUSAGB LINKING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED DEU. 26. 1912.

M WW J. SHIER.

. SAUSAGB LINKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC` l26, 1912, w. manned m1491913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Se 'IW J. SHIER.

SAUSAGE LINKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DLUZy 1912. 1,075,604. 23mm@ mm1/.1,1913

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i l e ITE ST rss JOHN SHIER, 0F DETROIT; MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO CRYSTAL S. WRIGHT, OF DETROIT', MICHIGAN, AND ONE-THIRD TO CHARLOTTE BUTTON,

0F MANSFIELD, OHIO.

SAUSAG-LINKING MACHINE.

Lafrance.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. is, rois.

Application filed December 26, 1812. Serial No. 738,549.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it vknown that I, JOHN SHIER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in thev county of W'ayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sausage Linking Machines, of which the following is a spec1- fieation, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a machine f or forming "and twisting sausage links and 'lts object 1s to provide a machine for the purpose which may be readily and continuously operated without danger. of breaking the sausage casings, and which is simple and compact in construction.

lt is also an object of the invention to pro vide certain other` new and useful features, all as hereinafter more fully described.

To these ends the invention consists 1n providing a suitable carrier with a plurality of clamping devices which coperatie with link forming means to receive and twist each link, provision being made for giving a slack in' the casings to allow for twisting, and the invention further consists in other matters hereinafter more fully set forth and pointd out in the ciaims, reference being had to t e accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section substantially on the line H-I of Fig. 1, the frame and semi-circular members being omitted; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of a device for grippin the end of a casing to vfeed it into the mac ine', Fig; is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the frame and guidev grooves;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a rotatable clamp; Fig. 6, an end view ofthe same; Fig. 7, an inverted plan view; and Fig. 8, a transverse section..

As shown in the drawings, 1 is a suitable supporting frame` to which is rigidly se.- curedY a track `frame comprising two semicircular members 2 and-a pair of inner ring members 3 which have radial Vspokes con nccting each with Aa cen-ter hub 4 forming bearings for a drive shaft 5. The-rings 2 and 3 of the track frame are connected by parallel bars 6 formed lintegral therewith or otherwise secured thereto, to connect the rings and these bars are suitably curvd and accurately spaced apart to form between them two spiral ways or grooves T extending ing.

substantially one-half of the distance around the periphery of the rings, one of said ways extending spirallyin a direction opposite to that of the other and said ways intersecting each other at the inner and outer sides of the track frame.v Secured upon the shaft 5 to turn therewith is a carrier wheel 8 which is rotated by turning the shaft 5 by means of a crank 9 secured upon the end of the shaft. The rim 10 of this carrier wheel is formed with a series of outwardly extending arms 1l, and each post is formed with laterally extending lugs 12 having openingsl to re cei'vethe screwthreaded ends of laterally extending lugs on bearing rings 13 which are held in place by nuts 14E on the inner ends of the lugs engaging the inner sides of thy ears 12. These bearing rings 18 are arranged in pairs between adjacent lugs 11 and each pair of rings forms a support for a rotatable carrieimember 15, one'of which members is shown in detail in Figs. '5 to 8 inclusive.

Each of the carrier mmbers 15 comprises a suitable frame 16 which is in its general form, semi-cylindrical, it being openat one side and provided with formed end portions 17 to lit withinthe bearing rings 13 and adapted to turn freely therein. The formed Ysemi-cylindrical end portions 17 of the fra-me are connected by two side bars 18, and one of these bars is formed with an out? wardly extending stud 19 to which is pivotally attached a gluide member 20 of a width at the places of intersection of the two spiral ways. When the carrier wheel is rotated and the several members thus propelled p through the annular frame of which the spiral ways form a partthe guide members 20 are brought into engagement with the guide Ways land bytheir engagement therewith, `will rotate each carrier member upon its aXis within its bearing rings.

Each carrier member is provided with clamping means for engaging one of the sausage links and firmly holding the same while the carrier is being turned to twist the cas- Each of these clamps comprises two jaws 21 which are formed at their adjacent sides to conform somewhat to the shape of the sausage link, and these jaws are pivotally attached to the carrier member by means of a rod- 22 engaging suitable openings in ears 23 on the upper ends of the jaws. r1`he jaws are yieldingly held turned toward each other to clamp a sausage link betweenthem,v

Vslot 28 yin an upwardly extending portion of the'frame of the carrier. rlhe jaws are preferably connected near each end `by a pair oflinks. l

V'llo open the jaws21 against the action of the coiled springs24, each jaw is formed in; termediate itsV ends with a laterally and/upwardly extending arm 29,and to the rings 3 'of the annular frame are secured 't o guide strips 30 which are spacedapargtnd turned outwardly away from each oth r at one end, as shown at 31' in Fig. 2, to receive between themv the Contact ends 32 of the arms 29, which,l as the rotatable carrier is revolved, will force said arms toward each other and swing the jaws upon their pivots, thus open- I ing them and holding them open throughout the length of the contactstrips- 30 which extend from adjacent to one end of the spiral grooves 7, around the carrier to a point adjacent to the opposite end of said grooves, so that the jaws -of the several carriers are held open during the time that the carriers are not being turned to twist the casings.

The outwardly extending posts or arms-11 on the carrier wheel. 8 whichfform the supports for the carrier members 15, are also each provided with lbearings for a rod 33 which is'adapted to move'freely in its bearings radially of the carrier wheel. Each rod is provided at its outerend with a head 34 adapted to engage the inner side of a sausage casing between the adjacent ends of the several carrier members.

Mounted in a suitableb'earing on the supporting frame 1, is a stub shaft 35, and on this shaft is. secured a wheel 36 having radially extending arms 37 provided with rollers 38 on their outer ends. The wheel is so supported and positioned that as it is rotated in timed relation to the rotation of the vthe carrier members. ment of the plungers will eject the finished product from the clamping aws' of the carat a point between the adjacentends 'of carrier members, separates the sausage into links and the wheel 36 is so positioned that this separation or dividing vinto links takes place just before the carrier members pass into engagement with the spiral grooves which operate to rotate them.

The separator wheel 36 may be driven in timed relation to the rotation of thecarrier wheel 8 by means of a shaft 39 and beveled gears 40 and 4l, as shown, or any other suitableY means may be employed to transmit motion fromthe driving shaft 5 to the stub shaft 35. l

To move the plungers 33I radially outward .and rigidly' hold them in that position to oppose the arms 37 and squeeze the c'asings for the purpose of separating the sausage into links, a curved track bar 42 is rigidly supported from the annular members 3 of the frame and engages the inner bent end portion 43 of each plunger rod.33. The track bar 42 is formeel` with an inwardly extending inclined end portion 44 positioned at such a point that, as the carrier wheel is turned and the carrier members are rotated byengagement witlrthe spiral grooves, the plungers will come into contact with said end 44 and force the plungers radially out- Ward, directly after the twisting of the casinghas been completed `by the rotation of This outward moverier members and the linked sausage will fall from the machine. Directly'after each plunger 33 has been brought into Vopposed relation with one of the arms 37 to divide the sausage in its casing, the plunger passes from the end of the track bar/L2 and falls radially inward in which position it is held until it reaches the end 44 of the track bar p movement during substantially the other half of the revolution.

When moved outwardly, t-he heads of the plungers project slightly beyond the longitudinal axis of the several carrier members and their clamping jaws so thatwhen the sausage casing isplaced in the machine and clamped by the jaws of two or more of the carriers, it will be held'by the plungers at a radial' distance lfrom the -axis of rotation ofthe carrierwheel, which is'greater than the radial distance of the longitudinalaxes` of the several carrier members from saidaxis of rotation. As soon as the links are clamped, the plungers move radially inward and permit the casing of the sausage to drop therewith inwardly into the axes of rotation of the. carrier members, thus causing a slack in ,the casing between the adjacent ends of said members.

In inserting the sausage casing in the machine, it .is necessary to provide means for holding the end of the casing until a plurality of the clamping jaws have gripped the casing to hold it and draw it into the niachine as the carrier wheel is turned. To so grip and hold the end of the easing, the carrier wheel is provided with bearings for a radially extending rod 47, and a fixed arm 48 extends radially outward from the wheel `adjacent to the rod to form a rigid support for a pair of blades 49 which are pivoted together and to the fixed arm by a pivot pin 50. One of the blades 49 is pivotally attached 'at a distance y'from the pivot 50, to a rod 51 which is jointedly connected to the outer end of the rod 47. The rod 51 has an ear 52' to which a link 53 is pivotally attached at one end, the opposite end of said link being pivotally connected to the other of the blades at a distance from its pivot 50. A coiled spring 54 is sleeved upon the rod 47 and acts to normall hold the rod moved radially inward and t e jaws or blades 49 in open position. A lever 55 is pivotally attached to therod 4T and isformed with a cam projection 56 to engage one of the bearings for the rod and move said .rod against the action of the coiled spring when the lever is turned. To start a casing into the machine, the operator will turn the carrier to bring the holding blades 49 to the lower left hand side of the machine where he may readily place the end of the casing between the blades. He will then throw the lever 55 upwardly to close the blades upon the end of the casing, which blades will grip and firmly hold the casing so that when the carrier wheel is turned, the casing will be drawn up# wardly and enter the open sides of the carrier members between the jaws l21 which, at this side of the carrier are held in open posit-ion by means of the guide strips 30.-;

To guide the casing into place between the jaws as it is drawn upwardly by the rota- 'l tion of the carrier wheel, a finger 56. is secured to the frame 1 andI extends in the path of movement of the carrier members to pass between the outer ends of the jaws.

When the carrier wheel has been turned soithat the blades 49 which hold the end ofthe casing have passed the point where the twisting of the casing is completed, said end of the casing is released by the blades to permit the sausage links to fall out of the machine. The lever 55 is thrown to so open the blades and release the end of the casing, by means of a cam track 58 which is secured to a fixed part of the frame and is adapted to engage a roller 59 onA the end of the lever to throw said lever outward at the proper point. The clam-ping engagement of the jaws of the severall carriers which are operating to twist the casing, will hold the casing and draw it into the machin-e so that a casing of any length may be run through the machine, it passing into the carriers at one side of the carrier wheel and falling out ofthe carrier members at the opposite side or bottom in afinished state. It is only necessary to stop the operation to insert a new casing. The operation of forming and twisting sausage links isv made continuous by the arrangement of a series of carrier members which are moved tov successively engage portions of the easing and carry the same forward, at the same time twisting the casing between the links.. ,fl`he arrangementof a plurality of carrier members upon the periphery of a carrier wheel, makes provision for a slack in the casing which is necessary in order to permitv the casing to be twisted without breaking it. In this construction each link is firmly clamped and held during the operation, and thus liability of breaking the casing is obviated. The jaws 21 which clamp each link are-preferably so formed as to provide for the expansion of the link therein without 'danger of breaking the casing and the plungers 33 not only serve to oppose the arms 37 and positively and accurately divide the sausage ,into links, but also serve to eject the links after they have been so formed and the casing properly twisted. Obviously, many changes may be made in the form or arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invent-ion and Ifdofnotvr limit myself to the particular constructiorrshown.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is 1. In a sausage linking machine, the combination of a plurality of holders for sausage links, means for-rotating each holder .upon its longitudinal axis, and carrying means for moving the holders longitudixz Enally.

l 2. In a sausage linking machine, the comlbination of a plurality of holders, a ro- `tatable carrier upon which said holders' are carried, means for rotating said holders to ltwist, the casing of the sausages between the links, said vholders being arranged to permit the sausage casing to move toward the axis of the carrier and provide a slack in the casing between the holders.

3. In a sausage linking machine, the combination of a rotatable holder, a clamp carried by said holder to receive a sausage link, means'I for rotating said holder with said clampV thereon tovtwist the sausage casing, and means for moving the holder to` carry the casing lengthwise.

4. ln asausage linking machine, the combination of a rotatable carrier wheel, a plurality of holders for sausage links carried by said wheel. adjacent to its periphery,

vmeans for turning the Wheel, and means tor turning each holder during the rotation of the wheel to twist -the sausage casing Vbetween the holders.

n 5. In a sausage linking machine, the combination of a carrier, a plurality of holders for sausage links carried by said carrier,

means for vmoving the carrier, means for turning the holders to twist the sausage casing, ,and means for pinching the casing between the vadjacent ends 'of the holders to divide the sausage into linkse,- v

6, VIn a-sausage linking machine, the combination of a carrier, a series of clampson i the carrier to engage the sausage links, mem-l bers -oifi the carrierbetweenthe adjacent ends of the clamps to engage the inner side ofthe sausage casing, means to oppose said members andsqueeze. the casing between said means and the members, and means .for

--actuating said last named 4 means andthe carrier-in ,timed relation to' each other` 7 In a sausage linking machine, the, conil,binat-ion; of a rotatable carrier, al seriesof carrier members carriedjby said` carrier-to 'engage sausage links, and turn thesa-me toi twist their casing between theflinks, ase: riesl of memberson the carrier forming supports for the sausage Casin between said carrier members and movab e inwardly to permit said casing to move toward the center of the carrier anduforlnr a slack in :the Casingbetween said carrier members, and means for rotating the carrier and turning the carrier members.

8. ln asa-usage linking machine, the combination 0i a rotatable carrier,ja sei'ies 'of rotatable carrier members carried by said carrier, a series of plungers on the carrier between the several carrier members-toengage a sausagefcasing at its inner side carri'ed by said menibers',means to oppose each ofv thev plungersand squeeze thesausage casing between them, and means for turning the carrier and rotating the carrier mein-v bers, f

v9. Ina sausage linking machine, the com-1 binationpf ar carrier wheel, a series of spaced carrier members upon the periphery f of said Wheel each havingianfopen outer side'tqreceive a sausagecasing', means for rotating one carrier member in one'direction and the adjacent carriermembers in an opposite direction, means for turning the carrienand meansk for pinchingthe sausage casing between the'carrier members to form' sausage links..

10. In a sausage' linking fmacliine, lthe combination of a carrier, means for moving said carrier, a rotatable carrier memberl on the carrier, jaws carried by the carrier member to receive and clamp a sausage link between them, means for rotating the carrier member to twist the sausage casing, and means'for actuating the aws in timed relation to the movement of .the carrier to open and close the same.

riphery of" said wheel, a series oi carrier members engaging and rotating within the bearing members, said carrier members being open at their outer sides7 clamping jaws within and pivotally attached *to the carrier members with' their freehends opposite the v open outer sides of saith-carrier members,

. spirallyrarrangedrways adjacent lto the periphery of the carrier wheel, and means on each carrier member to engage the ways and turn the said member during Ythe rotation ofthe carrier wheel. y l

13.' In a sausage linking machine, the'combination of a rotatable carrier Wheel, a series of spaced carrier members on the periphery of said wheel for engaging-and holding` sausage-links, radially movable' plungersfon the carrier Wheelbetween the carrier memi `bers to engage the innerside of a .sausage casing, a rotatable member having a series of radially extending arms adapted to'be brought oney at a time 4into opposedi'elaftionl with theplungersto squeeze the sausage 'casing between them, and means for `rotating"said member in .timed relation to the rotation of the carrier wheel.

iio

i. lll.' In a. ysausage linking machine, the.

combination of a rotatable carrier wheel, a series of: clamping members carried uponv the periphery of saidcwheel to y engage sausage links, means v. for rotatingv sai-d clamping members upon the carrier wheel a1seriesof radially movable, plung'ers'v on .the carrierI member extending outwardly, between the clamping members and a fixed track to engage and move the plungers when thecarrier Wheel is turned. n. u

15. 'In asausage linking ymachine,v the 4combination ,of a rotatable carrier wheel, a

series of clampingy jaws carried by the periphery ot said vwheel t0 Y,olampsausage links ,between tliem, means for turning the jaws -while in clamping engagement with ,the sausage links and to twistthe sausage casing same outwardly, said track being arranged `series of rotatable carrier members on the `way, means on the carrier members for en" between the links, arms on the/jaws for opening and closing the'same, andstationary means to engage the arms ndzoperate the` jaws during ,the turning of the carrier wheel.

16. InY Yai sausage linking machine,A the combination of a rotatable carrier wheel, a series of carrier members on the periphery of said wheel, means for rotating the carrier members, means on the carrier wheel for engaging and holding the end of a sausage. casing to cause the casingv to be drawn into engagement with the carrier members when the carrier wheel is turned, and means for turning the carrier wheel. j

17. In a sausage linking machine, the combination of a rotatable carrier wheel, a

periphery of said wheel, a pair of clamping jaws carried by each carrier member to embrace sausage links, two spirally arranged, ways adjacent to the periphery of the carrier wheel, the turns of one spiral way being in a direction opposite to those of the other gaging the` ways, and means operating in timed relation to the turning of the carrier wheel to squeeze the sausage casing at a point between the adjacent ends of the carrier members.`

18. In a sausage linking machine, the combination of a rotatable carrier wheel, spiral ways arranged adjacent to the periphery of said wheel and extending a portion of the way around said wheel, said spiral ways being arranged with their turns of the 'carrier wheel, means on thecarrierr members to engage the ways,v a series of radially extending plungers on the carrier wheel between the carrier members, a' fixed track to engage the plungers 4 andmove the at the side of the carrier wheel opposite that at which the spiral ways are'fpositioned, means positioned adjacent to one end of the spiral ways foi-opposingthe plungersA to clamp the sausage casingbetween them, and means for turning the carrier wheel.

19. In a sausageV linking machine, the combination 'of a supporting frame, a semicircular track frame on the supporting frame provided Vwith a pair of spiral ways with the turns of one way extending in a direction opposite to those of the other way and said ways intersecting each-other, a rotatable carrier wheel with its periphery adjacent to the inner side of t-he track frame, a

series of rotatable carrier members on theperiphery of the carrier wheel, means on each carrier member to engage the ways, a pair of jaws .carried by each-carrier member, laterally and inwardly extending arms on the jaws, fixed guides on the` fraineto'engage the arms andoperate the `jaws, a rotatable member having a series of arms, a series of radially' periphery of said wheel, means for rotating A the carrier members during a portioniof each rotation of the carrier wheel, a pair of jaws secured .by each'carrier member to embrace sausage links, means for yieldingly holding the jaws in closed position, means for opening the jaws and holding the same in open position during a portion of each revolution of the' carrier wheel, means for gripping the end of a sausage casing carried by the carrier wheel, means for automatically actuat ing said gripper to release the end of the casingA at'a predetermined point in the rotatieir of v.the carrier wheel, a series of plungers carried by the carrier wheel to engage the inner side of the sausage casing, A

meansY for moving' said plungers radially androperating to holdthe same at the outer endofV their movement during a portion .of each revolution of the carrier wheel, means actuated in timed relation to the rotation extending in opposite directionsha series of ,Q4-1f. the carrier wheel to oppose the plungersA rotatable carrier members on the peripheryW at a fixed point in the revolution of the carrier wheel, and means for turning the carrier wheel.

. 21; In a sausage linking machine, the combination of a carrier, means for moving the carrier, a rotatable carrier member on the carrier, means for rotating the carrier member, a pair of jaws pivotally attached and supported within the carrier member with the free ends of the jaws at one side of said member which side is open to receivera sausage casing, a pair of pivotally connected links pivotally attached. to the jaws adjacent to their pivotal support on the carrier member, and means on the carrier member for guiding the pivot connecting said links to v hold the jaws centrally within the carrier member. y l

In testimony whereof I atlix my l signature 1n presence Iof two witnesses.

JOHN sHIEa Witnesses: LEWIS E. FLANDERS, ANNA M. Donn. 

